Would it surprise you to learn that liposuction is the most-performed type of plastic surgery? According to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, more than 100,000 liposuction surgeries are done annually. Stomach/abdomen liposuction is the most common, but arm liposuction is a close second. This may be because it delivers such good results: arm liposuction can give you a sleek, toned look with minimal scarring on the upper arm, opposite of your arm pit.



The Surgery

The most common surgical technique used in liposuction surgery is called the tumescent procedure. This process uses a locally applied anesthetic, which reduces the overall cost and eliminates the risks associated with general anesthesia, which can include nausea and coma. This also reduces physical trauma and blood loss. In the tumescent technique, a diluted solution (the anesthetic) is injected into the site of liposuction. This numbs the area and "pumps up" the fat to be removed.

Pros and Cons

Arm liposuction's biggest advantage is its minimal scarring. The only lingering marks you'll notice are a few small holes, visible on the underside of the arm where the fat is removed.

There is a small drawback, however. In this procedure, the elasticity of the skin may be affected, so some hanging skin that cannot be removed by the liposuction may remain. These are commonly called "bat wings," and many people find them unappealing. Fortunately, additional plastic surgery procedures, like an arm tuck, can remove this skin.

The Arm Tuck

After your arm liposuction, you may want to remove "bat wings" because they may alter the fit of your clothes and negatively affect your self-esteem. Although arm liposuction does not remove the skin and subcutaneous fat of the upper arms, an arm tuck is an easy way to remove this hanging skin.

During an arm tuck, an extremely common form of plastic surgery, the surgeon will make a small cut in the arm pit, pulling the hanging skin towards the cut, trimming away the excess skin, and reshaping the skin the remaining skin. A more complex form of this surgery, called brachioplasty, involves both arm liposuction and skin removal, but is generally reserved for formerly-obese patients who have had extreme fat loss.

Recovering

The recovery period of arm liposuction is relatively short; you should be back to normal in three to six weeks. Your individual recovery time may vary, depending on whether you had both the liposuction and arm tuck, or just the former procedure.